The holiday season is definitely going to look different this year. We may travel less – and we may not be gathering with as many family members and friends as usual. But most of us are still thinking about gifts. It’s one part of the holiday season that doesn’t have to change.

If you have a college student, or an about-to-be college student, you may be searching for some ideas for useful or fun gifts. There’s so much to choose from!

You know your student best, and can tap into interests and needs, but we’d like to offer some suggestions that may stimulate your imagination. We have fifteen new suggestions for 2020 to add to our earlier suggestions.  Don’t stop with this post! Check out our Resources tab for nearly 100 additional suggestions!  We guarantee you’ll find something for everyone there!

Check out our ideas, and then let your own creativity take over!  If you have additional suggestions, share them in the comments! Let’s make this a community project!

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From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.  There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years.  We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook is the reference book you want to send with your student to college, and it is one which they will use often. Author Dr. Jill Grimes moves from head (hangovers and headaches) through the brain (anxiety and alcohol poisoning) on to eyes, ears, neck and on to chest, stomach (food poisoning, and constipation) to back, extremities, and skin (burns, bites, stings and tattoos). In other words, this is a head-to-toe compilation of the questions that students will face about their health and potential injuries.

The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook is not only a helpful resource, it is approachable rather than overwhelming, and written in a way that students will read it. Most items begin with a “what if” that describes the problem, followed by “what most likely happened” and then a clear explanation in “what’s going on?” Only then is there a description of potential “treatment” and a suggestion of “when to head to your doctor.” Finally, a “worst case scenario” and tips for preventing the problem.

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From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.  There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years.  We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

How to Survive Your Freshman Year is a book of many voices, and that is the point. The creators and editors have collected information, tips, and stories from hundreds of college students about how to make the most of your time in college. The book is full of solid advice, humor, and contradictions. Every student follows a different path through college and so the advice they share may not be the same. One student advises that you never miss a class while another student suggests that it’s not important to attend.

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Looking for a gift for your student in college or student who’s going to be in college soon is not always easy. What do they need or want?

There are a lot of possibilities. We’ve offered some gift suggestions for this year and we have a list of nearly 100 other suggestions.

But sometimes, what your student needs is a good read that will help them prepare for college, make the most of their experiences, and head down the road to success.  A little guidance from those in the know can go a long way.

We’d like to offer a short list of seven of our favorite books for college students. All of these books will inspire your student and help them get ready to make the most of their college years. Take a look at our reviews of these books, and gift a couple to your student. (And maybe read them yourself so you’ll have some topics to talk about with your student!)

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From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.  There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years.  We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students. 

College Secrets of Highly Successful People is an excellent book for both students and their parents to read. It is ideal for students about to head to college, but is also valuable for those who are already there. It’s never too late to begin to put into place some of the lessons the book teaches.

There many books available to students about how to be successful, but one of the things we like about this book is that it begins by defining success – and we love that it isn’t all about financial success. Before the authors begin to tell students how to be successful, they help students think about what that means. Having the goal up front helps students begin their journey with intentionality – another important term the authors define.

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It’s that time of year again.  Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday.  We’re thinking about family and friends and we’re thinking about gifts.  If you have a college student, or an about-to-be college student, you may be searching for some ideas for useful or fun gifts.

You know your student best, and can tap into interests and needs, but we’d like to offer some suggestions that may stimulate your imagination. We have ten new suggestions for 2019, but we’ve offered some suggestions in the past.  Don’t stop with this post! Check out our Resources tab for nearly 100 additional suggestions.  There’s something for everyone there!

Check out our ideas, and then let your own creativity take over!  If you have additional suggestions, share them in the comments!

Read more

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.  There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years.  We’ve offered some recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. See the Recommended Reading section of our Resources page for more suggestions.

In this review, we take a look at a book that is not technically for parents, but for their students. Reading this book may give parents a clearer vision of college, but the true benefit of this book is as a gift for your student.

When we first considered the book Collegiate: 7 Big Ideas to Make College Awesome, we’ll admit to being skeptical. The book is small, has simple graphics, and was written by two college students. How much wisdom can two college students share? The answer is – a surprising amount.

Collegiate would make a great gift for any student heading to college. The book is written, as the authors put it, “from the trenches” by “two regular college dudes” who share what they’ve learned through their college journey. The book is written by students for students and is filled with stories and anecdotes, and sometimes the mistakes, with which students can identify. It isn’t preachy and full of practical study tips by the adults who know better, it is filled with advice from students who’ve lived it – more recently than the rest of us.

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Parenting is hard work.  Those of us who have been parents for a while know how difficult it can be.  And as parents, we sometimes seek advice from the “experts,” whether those experts are our friends, our own parents, our medical providers, our counselors, or the authors who write books. Remember reading all those books before your baby was born?

We all need a little advice – and a little perspective.

There are lots of great books (and blogs like this one!) out there to help parents as they approach and live through the college admission process and the college years. We’ve reviewed more than thirty of them and we think many of them provide parents important guidance and food for thought. You can read some when your student heads to college, but we suggest that you start even earlier.  Many of these books help you help your child to start laying the foundation for future success.

So we’re offering a summer reading list of our current top ten favorite books.  Start here. Click on the titles to read our reviews. Pick the ones that speak to you. Read one or two or three. Share them – with a friend or with your student. Form a book club.  Start conversations.

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From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.  There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years.  We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

The subtitle of the book Countdown to College says a lot about the book. The Essential Steps to Your Child’s Successful Launch lets the reader know immediately that the book is going to provide a step by step approach to facing what often seems like an overwhelming process.

One of the important and relatively unique things about this book is that it covers a period in the college process which is often overlooked.  Much has been written about how to engage in a successful admission process as well as how to succeed during the freshman year of college.  Countdown to College does this, but it does more.

Countdown to College fills the important gap that occurs in between these two phases. What happens after the college acceptance letter arrives and before your student’s move-in day?  This book takes parents and students through those important months of preparation in an organized, step-by-step approach. As the author states, “The process is not finished when the admission decisions have arrived.  On the contrary, a new array of tasks awaits both of you.  The stark reality is that many if not most families encounter problems they have not anticipated but could have avoided.” Countdown to College can help families avoid many of these unanticipated situations.

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